


Always Here

by I_May_Surprise_You



Category: Deltarune (Video Game)
Genre: Protective Siblings, these are my babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 14:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17346806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_May_Surprise_You/pseuds/I_May_Surprise_You
Summary: How Asriel sees it.





	Always Here

Kris is a tough kid. And even that might be an understatement. 

We met under odd circumstances, but I remember the moment as clear as day. 

I couldn't have been older than ten at the time. I was out for a walk with our mother when I heard a rustling in the nearby bushes. 

Mother told me to leave it alone, afraid of whatever might be in the bush, but something within me screamed out to find someone, to make sure that that someone was okay. And so I listened to that voice inside me instead, much to mother's dismay. 

A small noise of surprise greeted me as I parted the leaves. The owner of the voice held a stick up shakily. They looked young, much too young to be out here on their own, with only a stick for self-defense. I reached out slowly, stopping every few moments for them to feel comfortable again. Finally, my paw reached their head, and I ruffled their hair softly. 

"Howdy," I said softly. "I'm Asriel. What brings you here?"

They seemed to take warmly to the feeling of their head being rubbed, so I continued the motions somewhat awkwardly. I wasn't quite used to this. 

They took their stick and walked out of the bush slowly so as not to lose my hand along the way. I smiled softly and followed after them. 

Their stick glided through the dirt, writing out a few letters. 

"K...ri....s," I sounded out quietly. "Kris, huh? I like that name." I pat Kris' head lightly, and they leaned into the touch. My smile returned warmly. 

"Asriel?" I heard a distant call. 

"Ah... that's my mother. Would you like to meet her? Do you have anywhere else you have to be?"

Kris looked down at their worn clothing, and I chuckled a little, sadly. "I'm sorry for asking something like that. Here, come with me! Oh... wait. We need a reason to let you stay with us so... Oh! I know! Do you know how to limp?"

It was an odd question, but Kris began to demonstrate a very oddly convincing limp, and I found himself laughing. "It's perfect," I said. "Now here, get on my back." I braced myself for a piggyback ride, and Kris hopped onto my back timidly. 

We made our way over to the sound of mother's voice, and I winked back at Kris. "Mom! I found someone who needs help! Can we take them home?"

"Asriel!" mother exclaimed. "Where did you go, I had no ide-" It seemed she had spotted the subject of my request. "Oh goodness, what happened? Are they alright?"

I readjusted my grip on the small human as I came up with my master excuse. "They were limping, so I picked them up. I don't think they have anywhere else to go. Would it be alright if-"

"Yes, yes, of course we'll help them. Come, let's go get in the car. It'll be more comfortable in there." Her voice sounded flustered. My plan was a success. I looked back subtly at Kris, and they gave me a quiet grin that I soon returned as I began walking to the car. 

Kris spent the next few days with us, and though they didn't talk much, I could tell they were growing on mother and father quickly. I smiled to myself. Mother had always lamented not having another child, and it seemed she had found her hope to be a mother longer, if only for a few years. 

As we both grew, I found myself entering new cliques and new clubs, but Kris would simply wait for when I was free. I always made time for them; they were my precious sibling, after all. But I couldn't help but feel as though I was holding Kris back from finding their own friends. As much as it hurt me to admit to myself, I was leaving in a few years, and I didn't know how Kris might respond to that. I found myself too afraid to approach them about it, though. I didn't want to hurt them. 

So instead, I continued to hang around, being there for them when it seemed they had no one else to play with. One of our favorite ways to spend our time was creating a world where anything was possible. Peace, destruction, everything you could imagine. But as we built and built this vast and seemingly endless world, I feared that Kris might feel more alive in that world than they did in school or at home. I wanted the time they spent with me to be a safe space where they could do or say anything, but I also knew that someday I would leave them and that they should be prepared for that. 

It was the beginning of my senior year when I finally reached out to Kris. A year or so before, our mother had separated from our father, and Kris had never quite been the same. I wanted to be sure they were okay, but I also wanted to be assured that Kris would be alright with me gone. 

I entered our shared room and shut the door softly. "Hey, Kris," I began softly. We had both just returned home from the entrance ceremony; Kris was never a big fan of them, but they always agreed to go if I would. 

"Mhm?" Kris replied, drawing in the notes to a piano piece they were writing in their notebook.

"Can we talk for a moment?"

"Lemme... finish this..." they offered, concentrating for a few more moments before turning on their bed to face me.

I took a deep breath, criss-crossing my legs to steady myself. "Kris I... this is my last year at home, you know that, right?"

Kris stiffened and brought their knees up to their chest. "Yeah..." Their response was muffled. "I know that..."

My throat tightened. What was it that I wanted to say? I wasn't sure anymore. "I'm just... I'm worried about you... y'know? I'm glad you and I have such a good relationship, I cherish it a lot, and you mean the world to me... but I won't be here forever... Soon it'll just be you and mom..."

Kris winced. Their relationship with our mother was... complicated. I had always been the one to get Kris out of arguments with mother, but when I'm gone...

"I want you to have someone to confide in... someone else. You can always call me, of course, but without me here..."

Kris' breath was shaky. They were never great with words, so I could tell how much they were struggling. 

"N-No one understands me like you do, no one at school... is like you..."

I got up and made my way to their bed, patting it in question before getting a nod of approval between their sniffles. I sat down softly and wrapped my arms around Kris. 

"I know... no one else can be like me, because no one else _is_ me. But Kris... I _know_ someone is out there who can help you through this. Maybe it's not in the way I've been here, but it'll be in their own unique way. When you feel like you're ready, open your heart to someone. You might get hurt, and I know that's scary, but when you've found the right person, they'll heal all your past pains. You'll be able to be _you,_ Kris. So promise me...?"

Kris lifted their head slowly, tear-stains visible on their cheeks. "I'm scared, Azzy..."

My heart threatened to break as I grabbed them into a hug and rubbed their head softly. I felt their heaves calming down as I continued to hold them. "We've still got a year, Kris... okay? I'm not goin' anywhere just yet."

We sat like that for a little while longer before I left them to think for a bit. Mother stopped me on my way out to ask where Kris was, and I shook my head. "Not right now, mom, Kris needs some time, okay?" She frowned, but nodded slowly. "I'm going out to the diner. I'll be back later." 

"Okay, dear. Don't stay out too late," she called after me. 

Kris joined me silently later that night, and I bought them a hot chocolate. The bunny at the counter smiled warmly when she saw me. "It's on the house, hun," she said quietly, sliding the mug towards me. 

My senior year seemed to fly by, and I could feel my anxiety rise. I knew Kris was conflicted. They wanted me to go to college to pursue a new life, but they also didn't know what to do without me. They were still having trouble socializing with their class, but they seemed to open up a little to a girl named Noelle, and that put me at ease, if only a little. 

I walked into our room to find Kris sketching something in their notebook. 

"A new song?" I asked, making my way to my own bed. 

They shook their head. "A new character..."

"Ah," I responded. "May I see?"

This time they nodded, holding out their notebook for me to grab. Not many people had this privilege. I hoped one day Kris would find someone else to trust their creations with. 

I flipped to the most recent page and began reading the description beside a drawing of a black-colored goat wearing a scarf and a large hat. 

_Prince of Darkness: Ralsei_

_A mage the heroes find on their quest. He claims to be the prince of darkness from the prophecy. He is kind to the heroes, but he later betrays them, having used them to make his way to the fountain himself._

I stared at the page quietly, unsure of how to feel. The character's name was clearly an anagram of my own, and I couldn't help but fear that his description stemmed from some feelings Kris harbored towards me. 

"Aw, man, tropes like this hurt," I offered, chuckling lightly. "I love his design, though. He looks very huggable."

"He is," Kris said in a whisper. 

"Kris...?" I started slowly. "Are you-"

"I need to go," they said quickly, grabbing their notebook from my hands and rushing out the door. 

That was four days before I was due to leave for college. 

I didn't hear from Kris for those few days. They used everything in their power not to interact with me, even waiting until they thought I was asleep to enter the room at night. My heart ached, but I knew it would only make things worse if I tried to pursue them, so I waited. 

And waited. 

And then Sunday came. I didn't want to leave Kris like this. Not without making up with them. But Kris was still nowhere to be found. 

Till the last second I waited, trying my hardest to focus on what I was doing, but my mind was working at a million miles per hour. I wanted to see them. I wanted to make things right. And yet I knew I _couldn't_ make things right. I had to go to college in the end. 

With one last forlorn look at what was my home for the last eighteen years, I got into the car. 

Finally, finally, I heard from Kris while I was moving into my apartment. My phone rang and I fumbled to answer it upon seeing the number. 

"H-howdy, this is Asriel," I started, cursing myself for how formal I sounded. 

"A...Azzy..." a quiet voice responded. 

The concern I had been penning up broke loose all at once upon hearing the sadness in their voice. "Oh gosh, Kris... I'm so sorry for leaving, I should have waited, I should ha-"

"I'M SO SORRY, BIG BROTHER!" Kris sobbed through the phone. My nose stung, and tears began to fill my eyes at the sudden desperation of their voice. "I couldn't be honest with you, a-and now you're gone and- I don't know what to do, Azzy! What should I do...?"

"Oh, Kris, it's okay. Don't worry about me. You're still my sibling, and I still love you no matter what, okay? I'm so proud of how far you've come, Kris. I truly believe you can make it. And like I said so long ago, no matter how long it takes, I _know_ you will find someone. So hang in there, okay?" Tears were streaming down my face at this point. "You can call me anytime..."

Heavy sniffles came from the other end, and I wiped my eyes slightly, wishing only that I could ruffle their hair and give them a big hug. 

"Thank you, Azzy..." Kris said softly. "For everything..."

I nodded despite knowing they couldn't see. "Of course, Kris... You're my precious little sibling... Never forget that, okay? I gotta go unpack some boxes, but... I'm always available to talk, okay?"

"Okay... Then I'll talk to you later..."

I smiled. "Of course."

"Oh... and Asriel?"

"Yes?"

"I've decided Ralsei is one of the heroes, after all."

____________

At the end of my first semester, I heard again from Kris. They had made a friend named Susie. I worried slightly at their description of her, but Kris' voice held so much genuine happiness that I couldn't help but cheer. 

_Kris really is a tough kid._

**Author's Note:**

> I really love these two, and no one has written in Asriel's perspective as far as I'M concerned soooo. I wanted to do it. Protective older bro. I love him. He's a good kid. Kris is a good kid too. They're good kids.


End file.
